Reds show support for Volquez again

SAN FRANCISCO -- Edinson Volquez is one of the few Cincinnati pitchers who hasn't had to worry about run support this season. When he's been on the mound, the Reds score in bunches.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Edinson Volquez is one of the few Cincinnati pitchers who hasn't had to worry about run support this season. When he's been on the mound, the Reds score in bunches.

Volquez struck out a career-high 10 in seven innings, Brandon Phillips homered twice and the Reds used a six-run first inning to rough up Barry Zito in a 10-1 win over the San Francisco Giants yesterday.

It was the fourth time in five starts by Volquez that the Reds have backed him with at least eight runs. Each time, the Cincinnati right-hander was won.

"I didn't even throw one pitch in the game and I looked at the board and saw six runs," Volquez said. "When you get some runs early you're like, 'It's easy today. Just go out there and do what you do.' "

Volquez (4-0) allowed one run and five hits to win his third consecutive start, and Ryan Freel's two-run single keyed the six-run first. Freel later doubled and scored as the Reds won consecutive games for the first time in more than two weeks.

Zito, winless in his first six starts for the first time in his career, gave up eight runs and seven hits while walking three in only three innings. The left-hander, who signed a $126 million, seven-year deal prior to last season, was booed frequently by the crowd at AT&T Park during his shortest outing of the year.

Afterward, the Giants acknowledged they are considering sending Zito to the bullpen to work his way out of the slump.

Phillips hit solo home runs in the seventh and ninth. Both came off Pat Misch, who was called up from triple-A Fresno earlier in the day.

Volquez gave up Randy Winn's RBI single in the third but pitched out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam. He retired 12 of the final 14 he faced while his ERA rose just a hair, from 1.21 to 1.23.

"He's one of the few pitchers around that can strike himself out of trouble," Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. "When he got in trouble that one time he reached back and got some dynamite stuff. That was an outstanding job."

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